


The most important case

by sugarandspace



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Fluff, M/M, Parent-Child Relationship, Private Investigator, Secret Crush, Single Parent Magnus Bane
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-09-25 21:35:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20378485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarandspace/pseuds/sugarandspace
Summary: Max Bane has lost his teddy. While his father is frantically trying to find it to make bedtime easier, young Max sneaks out to ask help from the neighbor. After all, he’s heard his father say that the handsome man is a private investigator.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [sh_ficletinstruments](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/sh_ficletinstruments) collection. 

> "A weary, cynical P.I. gets a new case."
> 
> -.-.- 
> 
> You can find a translation to Russian [here](https://ficbook.net/readfic/8597084/21945545)!

Alec didn’t expect anyone to knock on his door at 9 PM on a Tuesday.

He was enjoying his free evening and was ready to tell whoever was at the door to fuck off. The anger was replaced by confusion, however, when he opened the door to find no one there.

“Hello.”

The small voice directed Alec’s eyes lower and he looked at a boy, probably around three-years-old. Alec recognized him as his neighbor. He had the same dark hair as his father, but the kid’s hair was a mess of curls - very different to his father’s that was usually styled to perfection. Alec would know, since he had paid a lot of attention to the man. He chalked it down to normal curiosity - his job had made him wary of people. It was most definitely not because he had a crush.

“Hello?” 

“I’ve lost my teddy,” the boy said seriously. “Can you help me?”

Alec was speechless.

“Max Michael Bane!” Alec’s neighbor walked towards them, his expression worried. “I told you to wait inside!”

“Sorry,” the boy said and looked apologetic. 

“I’m terribly sorry,” the man said to Alec. 

“It’s okay.”

“Did you find my teddy?” Max asked, and the father shook his head.

“It wasn’t in the car,” he said and looked back at Alec. “I really am sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Alec smiled. 

He was just about to close his door when he heard the man swear.

“Shit. Max, you’ve locked us out.”

“I’m sorry,” the boy said, tearing up at the disappointed tone of his father. The man realised and scooped the boy up. 

“It’s okay,” he mumbled. “I know you’re tired but I’m going to make a call and someone will let us in.”

Alec doesn’t know what made him say it, it probably wasn’t something his neighbor wanted to know. “I know how to pick locks.”

The man turned to look at him, and instead of looking horrified, he looked hopeful.

“You do?”

“Yeah,” Alec said. “Comes with the job.”

Alec knew that the man must know what he does for a living, considering Max had come to his door tonight.

“That would be great,” the man said. “I really don’t want to wait. And it will cost quite a lot at this time of night.”

“Of course.”

Alec went back to his apartment to get his tools, and after a while he was able to open the door. By that time Max had fallen asleep in his father’s arms, and Alec held the doors open as he carried him in. As he was watching the man tuck Max in, his eyes landed on a fluffy arm under the bed.

“Is that the famous teddy?” Alec whispered.

Magnus followed his gaze and smiled widely, picking the toy up and placing it next to Max. 

“You’re good at your job,” the man teased. “How can I repay everything?”

“Get coffee with me someday?” Alec suggested, hoping that he hadn’t read the situation wrong.

“It’s a date.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date doesn't go as planned, but that doesn't mean that it's ruined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so. I contemplated if I wanted to post this second chapter now or if I wanted to also write the third part before posting. I decided to make this a WIP and post it now, because it might have taken me an eternity to update this if I waited for the third part. This story is not my priority at the moment (hello whumptober) so I make no promises when the third part will come. Maybe next week, maybe next year.

They agreed on a Wednesday the following week.

Alec watched as the door closed behind his latest client, a middle-aged woman who had been suspecting her husband might have been having an affair. Alec never understood why these people couldn’t talk these things out with their spouses and why they had to torture themselves with picture proof. Because in most cases, their hunches had been right.

Alec didn’t have much experience with relationships, his past relationships few and far between. They never lasted long but the thought of cheating on his boyfriends had never even crossed his mind. He guessed he was lucky that the men he’d been dating had thought so too.

Even with his past bad luck in dating, he was excited about the idea of going on a date with Magnus. They agreed to meet in a coffee place a block away from their apartment building, as suggested by Alec. It was a lesser-known place, and Alec wondered if Magnus was going to like it or not.

Oh god, Alec was already overthinking this.

He put away the pictures the woman had left on his desk, sliding them to the trash. He stood up from his desk and stretched his muscles, pulling on a coat and turning the lights off before he left his office. He made sure to lock it carefully.

His office was located on a building that held a lot of small offices and workplaces, some shadier than the others, but Alec had never pried about them. He didn’t particularly care and the less he knew the less he’d be involved if the police ever came knocking on his door.

He walked to the bus stop near his office and noticed that it had started snowing. Alec hated winter, hated the coldness of it and the way snow cling to clothes and how the smush on the streets made his shoes and socks wet.

The bus drive to his apartment was short and Alec looked at his phone to make sure he was on schedule. He’d still have time to change his clothes and try to do something to his hair before he had to meet Magnus at his door, from where they would walk to the cafe together.

Alec looked at his plain wardrobe and found himself overthinking again. What was he supposed to wear to his date?

Something presentable but not too formal. 

Then he thought about Magnus and his extravagant looks and realized that it was better to be overdressed than to show up wearing a t-shirt. Alec settled on a blue denim shirt and the black jeans that hadn’t yet faded to dark gray.

Combing his fingers through his hair one more time in an attempt to tame it, Alec took one last look in the mirror and decided that he had already done all he could, and staring at the mirror would only result in him finding more things he should fix if he only knew how.

By the time he was done, it was five minutes before he had agreed to meet Magnus. He figured that Magnus wouldn’t mind if he was there a few minutes early so he put on his shoes and coat and left the apartment, walking the few steps to the door next to his and knocking on the door.

The sight he saw when the door was opened was not at all what Alec had been expecting.

Magnus was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt and his hair was sticking to all directions. When he noticed Alec his eyes widened and he tried to hastily comb his hair back, much like Alec had been trying to tame his only about a minute ago.

“I am so sorry,” Magnus said, speaking quietly. “Max’s babysitter canceled and he’s ill so he’s been fussy the whole day and I totally forgot to text you.”

“It’s okay,” Alec said and smiled lightly. “Is Max okay?”

“Yeah,” Magnus replied, still speaking quietly. “He has the flu, I just managed to put him down for a nap.”

“We can meet some other day?” Alec suggested, already retreating from the door.

“Or you could come in?” Magnus replied. “I’d hate to cancel on you on such short notice. We can’t obviously go anywhere now but I have a coffee maker and I’ve been told that I make good coffee?”

Alec didn’t have time to reply before Magnus continued hastily. 

“You can refuse if you don’t want to,” Magnus said. “I understand if you don’t want to risk getting the flu.”

“It’s okay,” Alec assured. “I can get the flu from the supermarket too, I’m not scared of the germs. You should see some of the places I have to visit while I’m working.”

“I can only imagine,” Magnus said and smiled widely as he let Alec in.

Alec stepped into the apartment and took off his coat and shoes. Magnus was already walking further into the apartment, but Alec stopped to take in the room.

They were in a living room, a clean space with a few toys scattered on the floor. The layout of the apartment was different from Alec’s, seeing Magnus’ had an extra room for Max.

There was a short corridor on the other side of the room, and Alec assumed that it led to the bedrooms. The door to the kitchen was open, and Alec could see Magnus standing there with his back to Alec.

Alec walked to the kitchen as well, only speaking when he was at a talking distance. He didn’t know how light sleeper little Max was, and didn’t want to be the reason for him to wake up.

“You have a lovely home,” Alec said, and he really meant his words. The apartment was cozy but stylish, fitting for a child but also clearly decorated by someone with great taste.

“Thank you,” Magnus said. He pressed the coffee machine on and turned to face Alec with a smile on his face. “I really am sorry we couldn’t go out.”

“Don’t be,” Alec said. “It’s not your fault. I don’t really mind where we are, I’m just happy we get to talk.”

Alec realized his words a bit too late and blushed, but Magnus didn’t comment on it beyond a smile that looked a bit shy.

He turned back to the counter and reached to the cabinet above the coffeemaker, finding two mugs from there.

"Do you want milk? Sugar?" Magnus asked. "I also have these."

Alec watched as Magnus pulled a packet of dinosaur-shaped cookies from the cabinet. 

"Just coffee is fine," Alec answered. 

"Should have guessed you drink your coffee black," Magnus teased, making Alec laugh a bit.

"Am I so predictable?" He asked. "Well, how do you take yours?"

"Black," Magnus replied simply. "Dealing with a sick kid makes you crave the strong stuff."

"It must not be easy," Alec commented. He didn't know much about kids, his only experience coming from growing up with his siblings and occasionally taking care of them. But even his youngest brother was in his teens now, and it had been a while since he'd been near a kid as young as Max. 

"Hmm," Magnus hummed as he poured the coffee into the mugs, giving one of them to Alec before taking the other and a box of cookies from the counter and heading to the living room. "Max might be energetic but he's a good kid. The sickness is just making him cranky."

"I hope he gets better soon," Alec said sincerily as they sat down on the couch, angled so that they were able to look at each other.

"I hope so too," Magnus said. He opened the packet of cookies and offered the box towards Alec who took one, biting off the tail of the T-Rex before taking a sip of his coffee.

"You weren't wrong," he commented. "You really do know how to make good coffee."

The comment made Magnus smile and Alec thought about how beautiful he looked like that, even without his normal make-up and styled hair.

"I'm glad you like it."

A while of silence passed before Magnus spoke again.

“So, you're a private investigator? That sounds like an interesting job."

“It might sound like it,” Alec laughed. “But the reality is much more boring.”

“Is that so?” Magnus asked, taking a sip of his coffee. 

“Less about catching bad guys and more about following cheating partners,” Alec replied truthfully, shrugging his shoulder.

“Oh.”

Magnus’ smile fell for a moment before he quickly changed topics. 

“I almost forgot, I have something for you,” he said and stood up, placing his coffee mug on the table before disappearing back to the kitchen.

Alec was good at reading people, that was one of the reasons he was good at his job, so he noticed that something about what he had just said had upset Magnus. He could have fooled someone, the smile practiced and real looking.

Alec figured that it wasn’t his place to pry, so he didn’t comment on it.

“Here,” Magnus said as he came back to the couch, handing a piece of bright yellow cardboard to Alec. “Max wanted to make this for you because you found his teddy.”

Alec looked down at the card in his hands, at the colorful swirls and the few stickers that decorated the cardboard.

"A thank you card," Magnus elaborated, in case Alec was confused with the present.

"It looks great," Alec replied as he looked at Magnus and smiled.

After that they talked some more, their coffee mugs empty on the table as they moved from one topic to the next. Alec made sure not to mention his job again, and Magnus didn't bring it up either.

A while later they could hear footsteps getting closer and soon Max rounded the corner into the living room. He had the teddy under his arm and the blanket draped over his shoulders as he made his way over to the two adults like a sad wizard with a cape flowing behind.

“I’m cold,” he said and walked to his father, and Magnus proceeded to pick him up to place him on his lap. Max turned so he was sitting there sideways, leaning on Magnus's chest and looking at Alec. “Hi Alec.”

“Hi Max,” Alec replied, waving a little. “Thank you for the card.”

Max barely nodded, his eyes slipping shut in exhaustion as Magnus held him close.

“I know, Max,” Magnus said. “You’ll feel better soon.”

Alec tried to cheer the boy up by talking with him, asking all the important questions in a 3-year-old's life like what his favorite color was and if he liked watching cartoons. Max didn't act shy in front of Alec, although Alec hadn't expected him to. After all their first conversation had been started by Max knocking on his door. 

After a while, Max seemed to cheer up a bit and he moved to the floor to play with his legos. He noticed the box of cookies on the table and asked his father if he could have one, to which Magnus agreed.

"Just one," he said when Max lighted up with joy. They watched as Max took the cookie and went back to his legos.

"You are great with kids," Magnus said, moving his eyes from his son to Alec. He was smiling, and it made Alec smile as well. To be honest Alec wasn't sure if he had even stopped smiling at any point of their date.

"Max is lovely," Alec said which made Magnus absolutely beam, a proud glint in his eye as he looked back at his son.

"He really is."

They talked for a while longer, until Alec said that he should probably get going. The time had flown by and it was probably nearing dinner time for little Max. Alec made sure to pick up the card from the coffee table and say bye to Max before Magnus walked him to the door.

"I had a lovely time," Magnus said sincerely. "Maybe we could do this again? And actually leave the building like we originally planned?"

"I'd love that. Text me when it would work for you?" Alec asked. "My hours are pretty flexible and I'm fairly sure I can make it work."

"I will," Magnus promised.

A part of Alec wanted to linger, to stay talking with Magnus for a while longer before returning to his quiet apartment. But he knew that 'a while longer' could easily stretch out for far longer than intended, so he mustered up all his will power and opened the door.

"Goodbye, Magnus."

"Bye Alec," Magnus replied.

The smile Magnus wore on his face stayed on Alec's mind even after Alec left the apartment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :) Come talk to me on [tumblr](https://sugarandspace.tumblr.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/sugarandspace_)!

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know about you guys but I want to know what happens to them next!


End file.
